Evaporator.



Patented lan. 9, |906.

W. D. BAKER.

EVAPDBATOR.

(Application led Jan, 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Patented lan. 9, |900.

w.1n. BAKER. EVAPDBATUR.

(Applicatin led Jan. 31, 1899.)

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(In Model.) :a Si

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fil/t i UNrrnn- STATES Fries.

Pr-trant* EvAPoRAToR.

ASPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,733, dated January 9, 1900;

Application tiled January 31, 1899. Serial No. 704,001. (No model.)

To a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLARD D. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rogers, in the county of Benton and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Evaporator, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to evaporators, and has for its object to provide an efficient construction and arrangement of parts whereby fruit, vegetables, and other matter may vbe dried, and particularly to provide means whereby the material to be dried, after hav ing been subjected to a moist or steam heat, may, bya suitable adjustment of parts, be exposed to a dry heat to complete the operation and insure the sealing of the pores opened by the foregoing portion of the process.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the evaporator. Fig. i is a detail horizontal section of one of the ventilators. Fig. 5 is a detail face View of the valve or damper for controlling the influx of air to the air-inlet pipe.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In constructing an evaporator in accordance with my invention I preferably employ a frame 10, which is covered at its sides and ends with tongue-and-grooved boarding to form walls and similarly covered at its bottom to form a floor 11, which is located below the plane of vthe exterior licor-line 12, suitable truck guides or tracks 13 being arranged longitudinally within the frame approximately in the plane of said exterior floor-line to facilitate the introduction land removal of a truck 14, of which the wheels are adapted to traverse said tracks. This truck consists of a frame constructed to form supports for tiered trays 15 and is adapted to be run into the evaporator-casing when the trays have been supplied with material which is to undergo the drying process. The walls of the casing are covered exteriorly by a sheet-metal sheathing 16, and the domed top of the casing is preferably constructed solely of sheetV metal to form a condensing-surface,upon which the moisture from the material on the trays may be condensed and carried to a point outside of the apparatus. In the construction illustrated this top consists of downwardly-divergent side portions 17, separated at their upper edges to form a throat 18, which communicates with a longitudinal drum 19, having the lower portions of its walls downwardly convergent and terminating in driptroughs 20 for the reception of water of condensation. Similar troughs 2l are arranged adjacent to the lower edges of the downwardlydivergent roof members 17. At its upper side this drum communicates with a plurality of ventilators consisting of cylindrical shells 22, having valve-seats 23 and provided above the plane of the valve-seats with vents 24, and mounted in the shells are valves 25, adapted when seated to cut off communication between the drum and the outside air and when elevated to open communication between the drum and said vents 24, wherebjT the circulation of air through the evaporator may be secured. In practice the valves are preferablyaof cast metal or other heavy material, whereby they are adapted to be held seated by their weight, and when it is desired to open the ventilators it may be accomplished by means of operating-cords 26, extending over suitable guide-pulleys 27. I prefer to unite these draw-cords, so that all of the valves may be operated simultaneously, and in this case the portions 26 consist of branches of a main cable 28, which may be secured in any suitable manner to maintain the valves at the desired adjustment.

In one end of the casing is formed an entrance-door 29, which when open allows the truck to be introduced in the manner hereinbefore explained, and arranged at the bottom of the frame,below the plane of the tracks 13, and also adjacent to the sidewalls and that end wall which is remote from the door,

IOO

pipe at the desired temperature. In communication with one end of the pipe or coil is a a caerse A supply-pipe 3l, having a controlling or cutoff valve 32, and communicating with the other end of the circulating pipe or coil is an exhaust 33, having an exhaust-valve 34, which may be opened to allow the water ofV condensation within the pipe to be blown out. Also in communication with the drip-troughs 2O and 21, which are arranged at the lower edges of the inclined portions of the roof to receive water of condensation due to the evaporation from the vfruit or other material, are outlettubes 35, communicating with a discharge 36 and having a trap 37. Also located below the plane of the bottom coil of the circulatingpipe' is an air inlet or supply tube 38, perforated throughout its length, preferably at its upper side only, and fitted at one end with a removable cap 39, the other end of said tube being closed. This cap is preferably mounted to swing, whereby the pipe may be more or less opened to allow an influx of air at the desired rapidity, and the same may be locked at the desired adjustment by means of a setscrew 40, carried by the overhanging arm 4l.

In operation the drip-troughs 2O and 21 should be supplied with water to a sufficient amount to seal the trap 37, whereupon, the truck being arranged outside of the casing, the steam or other heating agent should be turned on and the temperature of the interior of the evaporator raised to approximately 180. The truck being then laden with trays filled with material to be dried should be run into the evaporator and all outlets closed effectually to prevent the escape of heat. It will be understood that the door and seats for the ventilator-valves, dro., should be properly padded or cushioned to make them absolutely air-tight. As the moisture is drawn off from the contents of the trays itis condensed by contact with the condensing-surfaces of theroof and is received by the troughs, and thus conveyed to the discharge 36, outside of the evaporator, the uniformity of the temperature maintained within the evaporator being ascertained by means of a thermometer or other analogous gage, such as that indicated at 42.

With some materials it is desirable after the evaporation of the greater portion of the moisture to seal the pores by the application of a dry heat, whereby the remainder of the contained moisture may be retained, and to accomplish this when the drip from the discharge 36 appreciably diminishes l open the roof-ventilators slightly and at the same time admit a small quantity of air into the pipe 38, the application of steam, however, being maintained to insure the effectual heating of the fresh air before it comes in contact with the fruit or other contents of the trays. Gradually the ventilators may be opened to a greater extent, and the influx of fresh air is increased until the completion of the operation, which for apples and analogous fruits requires about three hours. y

' It will be understood that in practice various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. An evaporator-casing having a roof provided with inclined side portions and an intermediate throat, a drum communicating with said throat, and provided at its top with ventilator-shells, valves for controlling vents in said shells, and drip-troughs arranged at the lower edges ofthe inclined portions of the roof and communicating with an exterior trapped discharge-tube, substantially as specified.

2. An evaporator-casing having its roof provided with condensing-surfaces and provided at its center with a series of vertical ventilater-shells having lateral vents and horizontal valve-seats below the planes of the vents, valves for vertical movement within said shells and adapted for arrangement either above or below the horizontal plane of the vents, and means for operating said valves, substantially as speciiied.

3. An evaporator-oasinghavingits roof provided with condensing-surfaces and having at its center a series of vertical ventilatorshells provided with lateral vents and horizontal valve-seats below the planes of the vents, valves adapted for vertical movement Within the shells and for arrangement above and below the horizontal plane of the vents,- means for operating said valves, a heating device arranged within the casing near the bottom, an air-inlet pipe communicating with the casing below the plane of the heating device, and a damper adapted to control the admission ot' air to said inlet-pipe.

4. An evaporator-casinghavingits roof pro'- vided with condensing-surfaces and having at its center a series of vertical ventilatorshells provided with lateral vents and horizon tal valve-seats below the planes of the vents, valves adapted for vertical movement within the shells and `for arrangement above and below the horizontal plane of the vents, means for operating said valves, a heating device arranged within the casing, aperforated air-inlet pipe extending longitudinally of the casing below the heating-pipe, a hinged cap for closing the inlet end of said inlet-pipe, and adjustable means for holding the cap in its adjusted position.

5, An evaporator having a casing ot' which the walls are provided with an exterior metallic sheathing,'and of which the top consists of inclined condensing-surfaces 17 provided with drip-troughs 2l, a drum communicating with the interior of the casing and having inclined walls also provided with drip-troughs 20, Ventilating devices in the top of the drum, a common trapped discharge-tube into which said drip-tubes discharge, a heating device consisting of a circulating-tube 30 arranged adjacent to the bottom or door of the casing,

and also having coils adjacent to the side and end walls thereof, truck-supporting tracks arranged above the bottom heating-coil, and an air-inlet pipe 38 arranged below said bottom heating-coil and provided with a damper whereby the influx of air may be controlled, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

/ WILLARD D. BAKER.

Witnesses:

H. A. OAKLEY, JAY DALroN. 

